National Socialist Party (UK)
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National Socialist Party | |
|---|---|
| Secretary | Tom Kennedy |
| Founder | H.M. Hyndman |
| Founded | 1916 |
| Dissolved | 1941 |
| Split from | British Socialist Party |
| Merged into | Labour Party |
| Newspaper | Justice |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Centre-left to left-wing |
The National Socialist Party was a small political party in the United Kingdom, founded in 1916. It originated as a minority group within the British Socialist Party who supported British participation in World War I; while historically linked with the Marxist left, the party broke with internationalism. The National Socialist Party was affiliated to the Labour Party and was eventually absorbed by it. Despite its name, it was not ideologically connected to the Nazi Party or National Socialism.
The National Socialist Party was founded by H.M. Hyndman and his followers after his defeat in the leadership elections of the British Socialist Party. They believed that it was desirable to support the United Kingdom in World War I against "Prussian militarism". Although maintaining that they were a Marxist party, after affiliation to the Labour Party in 1918, they renounced vanguardism and saw in the Russian Revolution only the danger that it might weaken the United Kingdom's war effort. The party was grouped around the newspaper Justice.
Three members of the party were elected to Parliament in the 1918 election; Dan Irving and Will Thorne were elected for the Labour Party, and Jack Jones under the National Socialist Party name.[1]
